Churchill Downs CEO ‘Leads’ by Putting Team First, Earning Top Workplaces Rank

Courtesy of Courier Journal

Olivia Evans

Louisville Courier Journal

LOUISVILLE, KY., (October 24, 2024)- Churchill Downs Inc., known for its iconic racetrack in Louisville and many brick-and-mortar gaming venues in Kentucky and across the nation, will now also be known as one of the Top Workplaces in the metro area.

Churchill Downs Inc. CEO William "Bill" Carstanjen knows what it's like to be an employee at the company known for hosting the Kentucky Derby. Carstanjen started his career with Churchill Downs Inc. on the legal team. But through career advancement opportunities and former leaders who "took a chance" on him, he eventually rose through the ranks to the company's top leader.

"I hope that everybody feels like they'll get those opportunities here," Carstanjen told the Courier Journal. "I think here at Churchill, there are lots and lots of examples of this, it's one of the hallmarks of the company and it's why we're always going to look to promote from within because it is very empowering for the team members."

This year, Churchill Down's Inc. ranked first in the "Top Workplaces" category among employers with 300 or more employees in the Louisville region. Carstanjen took home the special "Leadership Award" for large companies, which honors a leader who has high employee confidence in both the leader and leadership team of the company.

Top Workplaces is a partnership with Energage, which has spent more than 16 years researching employers with highly engaged workforces. It surveys employees of nominated companies and organizations about their workplace culture. That data is then used to help others improve people's work lives.

The Courier Journal caught up with Carstanjen to find out why Churchill Downs Inc. is one of the top places to work in the region.

These answers have been edited for length and clarity.

How does Churchill Downs Inc. retain employees and attract new ones?

It's something we think about every day … the evolution of the company over the last few decades, we have something really special going for us. It's Churchill Downs Racetrack and the Kentucky Derby, but beyond that, what's made us special has been our people. We think our people are our most important asset and we constantly think about how to make them as productive as possible, and how to recruit the best people that we can to come work for the company.

Can you highlight some top perks and benefits at Churchill Downs Inc.?

I think there's always a belief that you're going to get free Derby tickets, but that's not the case. So that's not our primary benefit for recruiting people, it's not free Derby tickets. But in all of our facilities here, whether it be the racetrack, Derby City Gaming Poplar, Derby City Downtown, or our corporate offices, we do a number of things to try to make our workplace as friendly, as inclusive, and as productive as possible.

If you take our corporate headquarters on Hurstbourne [Parkway], we've just redone our entire office building, including adding a state-of-the-art gym. We hold lots of team events, cornhole tournaments, food truck events, and other things to drive camaraderie and a sense of place and a sense of our team members feeling comfortable here … We think all of those things go toward a happy and productive team environment.

How would you describe the company culture at Churchill Downs Inc. and what are your core values?

We're all about team. So, I think if you're going to work at Churchill Downs, from our perspective, when we get to know potential team members, we're always focused on are they going to put the team first. A lot of our employees are hardworking, they're dedicated, they're humble and first and foremost, they're team-focused.

What makes working at Churchill Downs Inc. a unique experience when compared to other major employers in the state?

Whether you work at the racetrack or one of the other facilities in Louisville or the state, you feel a sense of purpose and a sense of pride around the Kentucky Derby. I think that gives our company a rhythm and a purpose and a heartbeat that touches everybody. And I think it's nice to have that all-encompassing pursuit every year, I think it brings a sense of camaraderie and a sense of common mission and I think everybody always rallies around it, whether their job specifically touches the Kentucky Derby or not.

But beyond that, I like to think that what makes us special and an employer of choice in the community is our sense of team and our sense of developing our people. We work very, very hard to give advancement opportunities to the team members that are here. So, when people come to work at Churchill, I hope they believe they'll be rewarded for their hard work, both economically and with the sense of being a part of something bigger than themselves and with an opportunity for career advancement.

Churchill Downs is a company within the entertainment industry. How does your company bring consumers a memorable experience?

I think our team shows a real streak of curiosity, and that's been important. You don't have to invent everything yourself, but when somebody else invents something cool or does something cool, you've got to be smart enough and humble enough to take advantage of what they teach you.

I've been pleased that while our company is not in New York or Los Angeles, our team makes an effort to learn from both coasts and events throughout the United States and around the world, and then put our unique twist on it for the Kentucky Derby.

After Kentucky Derby 150, what's next for the company?

We still have a lot to go, and if you flew a drone over Churchill Downs, you'd see some of the areas where there are still great opportunities for investment. So, every year, for the last number of years, we bring something new to the table for our customers and we think that'll continue. We're never far away from the next big announcement of what comes next, so stay tuned for that, because you'll see more coming soon for sure.

Contact business reporter Olivia Evans at [email protected] or on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @oliviamevans_.

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